Gangway for connecting a first car of a multi-car vehicle to a second car

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745772-B2
Application number	US-202016945137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2020
Priority date	Aug 2, 2019
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A gangway for connecting a first car of a multi-car vehicle to a second car, the gangway having a first element and a second element of a group of elements comprised of a first vehicle mounting plate at a first end for mounting the gangway to the first car, a second vehicle mounting plate at a second end for mounting the gangway to the second car, a center frame and a hoop between the first and second vehicle mounting plates, whereby the gangway has a normal position in which the first element has a predefined position relative to the second element, a spring element is connected to a first connection point on the first element and to a second connection point on the second element, whereby in the normal position of the gangway the first connection point is at a different height compared to second connection point, and/or is arranged either further outward or further inward than the second connection point.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gangway for connecting a first car of a multi-car vehicle to a second car, the gangway comprising:
a first end and a second end;
a first vehicle mounting plate for mounting the first end of the gangway to the first car;
at least one of a second vehicle mounting plate for mounting the second end of the gangway to the second car and a face plate for mounting the second end of the gangway to a second gangway;
a series of elements arranged between the first vehicle mounting plate and the at least one of the second vehicle mounting plate and the faceplate, wherein each element of the series is one of a frame and a hoop;
wherein the gangway has defined therein a normal position, in which normal position at least one of the first vehicle mounting plate, the second vehicle mounting plate, the face plate, and an element of the series, is a first item having a predefined position relative to a second item, which second item is another one of the first vehicle mounting plate, the second vehicle mounting plate, the face plate, and an element of the series;
wherein a plurality of spring elements is provided, and wherein for a majority of the elements of the series, an element of the series is connected to a neighbouring element of the series by at least one of the plurality of spring elements; and
wherein at least one spring element of the plurality of spring elements is connected to a first connection point on the first item, and to a second connection point on the second item, and wherein, in the normal position of the gangway, the first connection point is located in at least one of the following positions: at a different height relative to the second connection point, further outward than the second connection point, further inward than the second connection point, and opposite to the second connection point with respect to a center line of the gangway.

2. The gangway according to claim 1 , wherein the gangway further comprises:
a bellows made up of one or more convolutes;
and wherein, in said normal position,
the first vehicle mounting plate has a predefined position relative to the second vehicle mounting plate,
at least one of the elements of the series has a predefined position relative to the first vehicle mounting plate,
the bellows is of a predefined shape,

and wherein
the at least one spring element includes a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the at least one spring element is connected to the first connection point on the first item and the second end of the at least one spring element is connected to the second connection point on the second item.

3. The gangway according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the elements of the series is a frame arranged between the first vehicle mounting plate and the second vehicle mounting plate, and at least another one of the elements of the series is a hoop arranged between the first vehicle mounting plate and the frame.

4. The gangway according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the elements of the series is a center frame.

5. The gangway according to claim 1 , wherein each element of the series is connected to a neighbouring element of the series by at least one of the plurality of spring elements, and wherein the first element of the series is connected by at least one of the plurality of spring elements to the first vehicle mounting plate, and a last element of the series is connected by at least one of the plurality of spring elements to the second vehicle mounting plate.

6. The gangway according to claim 5 , further comprising a group of spring elements among the plurality of spring elements, each spring element of the group connecting two neighbouring elements of the series, wherein at least some of the spring elements of the group are arranged in a zig-zag line relative to a top view or side view.

7. The gangway according to claim 5 , further comprising a group of spring elements among the plurality of spring elements, each spring element of the group connecting two neighbouring elements of the series, wherein at least some of the spring elements of the group are arranged in a saw-toothed configuration relative to a top view or side view.

8. The gangway according to claim 4 , wherein at least one element of the series has a first connection point for a first spring element of the plurality of spring elements, and a second connection point for a second spring element of the plurality of spring elements, and wherein in the normal position of the gangway the first connection point and the second connection point are at a same height and/or are arranged equally far outward.

9. The gangway according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one spring element is a coil spring or a gas strut.

10. The gangway according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one spring element in the normal position of the gangway is pretensioned.

11. The gangway according to claim 1 , further comprising a floor plate connected to the first vehicle mounting plate or the frame.

12. The gangway according to claim 1 , further comprising a support structure, wherein the support structure supports and is connected to at least one of the first vehicle mounting plate and the second vehicle mounting plate.

13. The gangway according to claim 12 , wherein the support structure supports and is connected to the first vehicle mounting plate, the second vehicle mounting plate, and the frame.

14. The gangway according to claim 13 , wherein the support structure comprises two support beams, and wherein the one or more hoops are arranged at a distance from the support beams and are unsupported by the support beams.

15. A multi-car vehicle with a first car and a second car, and a gangway, wherein the gangway comprises:
a first end and a second end;
a first vehicle mounting plate for mounting the first end of the gangway to the first car;
at least one of a second vehicle mounting plate for mounting the second end of the gangway to the second car, and a face plate for mounting the second end of the gangway to a second gangway; and
a series of elements arranged between the first vehicle mounting plate and the at least one of the second vehicle mounting plate and the faceplate,
wherein each element of the series is one of a frame and a hoop;
wherein the gangway has defined therein a normal position, in which normal position at least one of the first vehicle mounting plate, the second vehicle mounting plate, the face plate, and an element of the series is a first item that has a predefined position relative to a second item, which is another one of the first vehicle mounting plate, the second vehicle mounting plate, the face plate, and an element of the series;
wherein a plurality of spring elements is provided, and wherein for a majority of the elements of the series, an element of the series is connected to a neighbouring element of the series by at least one of the plurality of spring elements, and wherein at least one spring element of the plurality of spring elements is connected to a first connection point on the first item, and to a second connection point on the second item, and wherein, in the normal position of the gangway, the first connection point is located in at least one of the following positions: at a different height relative to the second connection point, further outward than the second connection point, further inward than the second connection point, and opposite to the second connection point with respect to a center line of the gangway; and
wherein the first vehicle mounting plate is connected to the first car and the second vehicle mou

Assignees

• Dellner Couplers Ab

Inventors

• Lauschke Uwe
• Fowler Jason
• Alton Daniel
• Oldroyd Samuel

Classifications

• B61D17/22 Primary

  flexible, e.g. bellows · CPC title

• B60D5/006

  Passages between articulated vehicles, e.g. bridges or rotating plates · CPC title

• B60D5/003

  Bellows for interconnecting vehicle parts · CPC title